Blitzball Fever
by FullOfSugar
Summary: Sora and his blitzball team have been living peacefully on Destiny's Island, until a new team storms onto the field. And Sora didn't fall in love; he was tackled in love. RikuXSora.


**Sum-up: **Sora and his blitzball team have been living peacefully on Destiny's Island, until a new team storms onto the field. And Sora didn't fall in love; he was tackled in love.

**Warnings: **boy love, nothing graphic. Fluffy, simplistic, unrealistic. AU. Blitzball descriptions that would probably make more sense if you have played FFX. Err... nothing much to say... seems pretty inoffensive to me ^^ Ah yes, stupid humour...

Currently under beta. Just the beginning is corrected for now. I'll edit ASAP ;)

**Rating**: T

**A/N: **SoRikuRox... this is our baby. He weights a little more than twelve thousand words. He's not in perfect health yet but Dr. Elemental-Zer0 is nursing him very well. He's eager to meet his daddy. His name is...

**Blitzball Fever**

(sorry pal, couldn't help it XD)

_A ruthless opponent brings the best and the worst out of you_

_Thud-thud, thud-thud, thud-thud…_

A comforting darkness obscured the entry tunnel. The soft dripping sound of water echoed softly off the walls. A gentle pull caressed his calves as the current from the steady stream swirled past the obstacles. He let his head lean backward and allowed the noise to enter him; to surround him and infuse him with its deadly calm as it passed through him. Each and every single match always begins the same. Sora could never stand in place for long but the mental and physical preparation before a blitzball match happened to be the only exception to that rule.

The airlock opened and the background noise created by the countless spectators in the arena suddenly sounded loud and clear. Sora opened his eyes; his heart beating steadily despite his rising anticipation. His teammates stood around him, each member ready for the confrontation. Selphie stretched her arms out one more time while smiling brightly at the familiar excitement bubbling up inside her, Wakka rolled his shoulders and smirked as he glanced at his friends while Hayner breathed in deeply then exhaled slowly to release any lingering tension and Roxas flexed his arms feeling the urge to move tingle through him. Sora sought Tidus' eyes and held the other boy's gaze for a second, the blond boy nodded in acknowledgement at his friend with a smirk on his face. Sora's captain harboured such a strong passion for blitzball that it was enough to motivate the team to the max, if only not to disappoint him.

One by one, under the applauding and screaming spectators, the members of the Keyblade-Masters team dived up into the pre-prepared spherical, water-filled blitzball arena. With his team lined up behind him, Tidus made his way towards the opposing team; the Heartless. He reached their captain; one tough looking blond young man named Cloud, and they shook hands firmly with a hard look mirroring their faces.

Here on Destiny's Islands, the weather showed extreme mercy ten out of twelve months per year, and expressed its discontentment with violent rain showers the rest of the time. Surrounded by water, the island represented the dream place for any blitzball player. Even though the island was not that rich compared to neighbouring mainlands, they had recently acquired a huge stadium and a water sphere arena to attract blitzball teams and organize sport meetings and tournaments. This year a high-level team from The-Land-That-Never-Was had moved to Destiny's Island for an entire school year. The sport events would be numerous thanks to that team -the Heartless- and would also attract tourists from everywhere.

Today, the foreign team's first friendly match was planned against an amateur home team, the Keyblade-Masters, a very good team known by the locals.

Tidus had felt so ecstatic seeing the opportunity to test his skills against a high-level team such as the Heartless. His excitement was obviously shared by the huge number of spectators screaming in the grandstands.

Hearing the whistle, each member stared at the ball being propelled under water. Sora played middle field and he was usually the one reaching for the ball but his opponent, a young woman named Ariel, got it first. Sora swam after her right away.

As a young boy, Sora had watched Ariel playing in Atlantica and had admired her skills even then. She was just a newbie at the time but Sora had been entranced by the way Ariel had swum and played. To him she had looked like a siren with her quick legs, moves and her fiery red hair that she left unattached and splayed out like a halo around her head. Afterwards (when he had learnt to play blitzball) he had always kept her in mind in hopes of improving his grace and speed. Even though after years had passed and he had met other players that he admired, Ariel had been the very first inspiration that had stuck with him. Never once would he have thought to play against her, fighting for the very same ball.

Ariel made a pass to her team member Leon -the left defender- who quickly swam towards the goal. Sora hurriedly joined Leon's position and tried to block the pass he made to Cloud, but missed. Selphie, who had had time to get to Leon, deflected the ball. Cloud could not catch it and it landed in Tidus' hands. Unluckily, the young captain had barely the time to swim towards the goal when he was surrounded by Cloud, Leon and a red-haired young man acting in defence position, named Axel.

Tidus did not have a choice; he attempted a shot, which passed through Cloud but not Leon. The last quickly made his way farther away from their goal until Axel had taken his position back on the side. He made a pass at him then, a little distraught when he realized the adverse team did not tire themselves easily by swimming everywhere trying to block his passes.

Axel did not have the time to pass the ball to Ariel, he found himself surrounded by Wakka and, surprisingly enough, by Sora. He seemed to remember that Sora had been farther away. Not thinking much about it, he made a pass that got deflected by Sora and stopped by Wakka. Heading back to the Heartless goal, Wakka tried to place himself in a good position to shoot. Meanwhile, Sora placed himself not far from him, strategically positioned to pass the ball to anyone around him if Wakka could not shoot.

Leon and Axel were again on the defensive, but Wakka tried to shoot anyway. The ball got deflected but the two Heartless players could not catch it. Tidus did once again and did not waste any time to shoot, well placed as he was. A simple, quick and well-timed shot.

Their first goal against a high-level team.

They all pumped their fist in the water, so pleasantly surprised to be able to mark. Some of the Keyblade-Masters players had been afraid to get completely crushed by them. It looks like they really were not bad after all. Or maybe the Heartless were not completely serious.

Maybe a little bit of both.

The scowl on Cloud's face promised a mean come back though.

The ball was propelled a second time. And once again, the fight was merciless.

Since the Heartless were composed of high-level volunteers for a year studying in Destiny's Island, they were not yet completely used to playing together, whereas the Keyblade-Masters had been playing together for several years and it showed.

The first half-time was almost finished and the score was posting 2 to 1 for the Keyblade-Masters. It filled the players with such a determination that they felt as if they could reach super saiyan levels(1) any moment. Sora caught the ball and rushed at the goal like his arse was on fire. The opposing team had realized by now that Sora, who at first did not seem to possess any particular strong point, was one fast devil.

The Heartless were not high-level for nothing though and they quickly learnt not to under-estimate their adversaries, mostly since they were losing. Sora shook off Ariel and Axel easily however he could not predict that the right-attacker, whom he did not recognise, would tackle him from the side.

And that he'd tackle so hard.

The ball was far from his mind at that precise moment, there was only the pain in his side and the air that he let out under the form of tiny bubbles escaping to the surface that registered. That and the blur of brilliant green mixed with white...

_Loosing is part of learning. Doesn't mean you have to like it..._

"Oooh GOD I'm dying!"

"We were so _close_!"

"Selphie, could you please, STOP POKING?!"

"Does it hurt?"

"Well, yeah... KINDA"

"He caught you great, ya"

"The rib is broken."

"Your first broken rib, how does it feel?"

"Painful"

"Just a minute _more_ and we would have... arrgh!"

Sharing impressions in the locker room, exhaustion did not seem to be in the Keyblade Masters vocabulary. Still, under water, they had lost a little of their excessive energy from the very beginning and played with less skill, whereas the Heartless were more constant in their effort and more adaptable.

They lost 4 to 3.

Shortly after being tackled by the still nameless attacker, the first-half was announced. Sora painfully got out of water and Kairi, his friend and medic apprentice, joined him in the locker room and bandaged him the best she could for the second half of the game, even though she advised him to stop playing. He was too stubborn though, and Tidus was far too adamant to keep him playing, saying that if he did not piss blood, that he could still play. Kairi decked him.

The pain had been bearable at the time, and hurt more in his ego than his rib. Determined to catch up to the Heartless who shot four shells while they were still at one, Sora played the first part of the second-half slowly, keeping his force and staying on defence, while Wakka managed one goal.

Then, he surprised his opponents by swimming swiftly through them and catching the ball. When facing his attacker one more time, Roxas was here to protect him, and by protecting, Roxas meant _massacring_. The little blonde played right defence and was a mean tackler. He prevented Sora's nightmare personified from hurting him more by tackling him and sending him floating away. The boy managed to avoid the brute force of Roxas' attack, but was unable to pursue Sora.

Meanwhile, Sora was alone except for Ariel who tried to deflect his pass, but it was not enough to prevent Tidus to catch the ball. When he did, the young captain made one of his famous shot, taught by his own father, and scored one last time. It was not enough to even the match, but at least, it made for a good result.

And Sora got a sort of revenge.

After the high of the last minute goal had passed, Sora let himself float under water, he had barely enough force to not sink deeper. Swimming as fast as he did had hurt his rib even more. Now that the match was over, the pain was all that was left. Tidus and Roxas came toward him to help him get out of the water, but before they joined him, Sora crossed eyes with his mysterious attacker. Bright green eyes were peering at him curiously, or at least, Sora thought it was curiosity, because his face was not much expressive. It might be that the boy wondered if he should help Sora but without daring to. Sora absently wondered what colour his hair was. It seemed blue under water, at first, but last time, with the sunlight beams running through the water, the strands had seemed lighter...

Agonizing on the bench in his locker room, he thought that his reflection on his attacker's hair was quite stupid and only due to the pain clouding his brain.

If, at _least_, he would have stared at his arse, but no, he had to contemplate his _hair_. How much _gay-er_ could he get?

Kairi's frown stood the chance to become permanent while she was bandaging Sora's torso _again_.

"You'll need _rest_ Sora, which means, no _strenuous activity_ and almost complete _stasis_."

"Why don't you just finish me off right now, then?" Sora answered with a much too serious face for such a forgiving prescription.

Seriously, no moving around?

"We _need_ a rematch."

Since out of the water, Tidus had been ranting about how they could have won and how they needed to play again against the Heartless.

"Tidus, Sora is _out_ and needs _rest_" Kairi hissed.

"Yes yes, I should ask their captain now. I think I can provoke him easily if need be." Tidus was obviously not listening and missing Kairi's glares of death.

"Tidus... they're high-level. The match was planned as a sort of welcome party for them. I don't think they will have the time to play against us again. They're here for intense training, after all." Sora, foreseeing a homicide, tried to temperate Tidus. "And anyway, I like blitzball and all, but I like myself better with my bones in place."

"Don't be a baby now. Being hurt is part of the game."

"Stupid game" Kairi muttered. Tidus glared at her and she glared right back.

"I wouldn't mind trying to tackle that guy again... he managed to avoid the worst of my strength when I tackled him." Roxas added absently.

"I would rather avoid that tank in the near future and after that, thanks." Sora added petulantly.

"We _need_ a rematch" Tidus concluded, an obsess look on his face.

Hayner slapped his forehead on his palm and Wakka laughed, knowing his best friend well.

"I'm sure that can be arranged. We could even train together, but you'll need to see the boss about that."

Everyone turned around at the sound of the unknown voice, even Sora, who gasped in pain at the abrupt movement.

"_Sora_, stay _still_!" Kairi was quickly becoming exasperated.

"Sorry..."

Great Scott! The psycho was here! Standing calmly at the open door. Who let it open, anyway? Did he hear everything they had just said?

"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked, voice cold, with his renown wariness.

"I only wanted to see how the little guy was doing." He allowed himself entry to the locker room under the more or less hostile scrutiny from the team members, but his eyes were solely focused on Sora. The boy gulped and stared fearfully at the adverse player approaching, knowing without the shadow of a doubt that he was here to tear his eyes out and eat his heart.

With him being heartless and all.

Nervous as crazy, Sora almost laughed out loud.

"At first, I was afraid I broke your rib, but I saw you playing the second part of the game, so I thought you were okay. In the end, it seems you're just a very determined player, huh?"

Even though the position was uncomfortable (this guy seemed so tall standing over him and Sora felt so weak, hurt and laid down like that), the spiky haired brunet revised his view concerning his mysterious attacker. He seemed quite nice, with that small smile on his face, his soft eyes and warm voice. His head was bent on the side, trying to look at Sora better, strands of hair falling on his eyes.

And it was white, after all. It was such a pretty colour...

"Huh... hehe, err...yeah"

Sora, plunged into his own observation of the stranger, could not form coherent words. It made the Heartless chuckle. Sora blushed but kept staring at the stranger's beautiful eyes.

"So, if I promise to behave, would you mind seeing me in the near future?"

Thinking back on what Sora had said, his eyes widen in realisation that yes, that boy had been here for a little while now, and heard quite a lot of their conversation. If not for Kairi putting a hand on his chest, Sora would have hurt himself again.

"No, no! It's err totally okay, I mean... hehe, I was joking you know? Yeah... welcome to Destiny's Island by the way."

The boy smiled warmly, eyes twinkling amusedly.

"Thanks. We'll be in the same school after all, we'll see each other soon. I'm really sorry for your rib. Take care of you." He advised while exiting the locker room.

"Ah... yes... hey! What's your name?" Sora asked quickly.

The boy smiled one more time, and said his name in a low voice that gave Sora's imagination material for later.

"Riku."

Maybe Kairi had been mistaken. Maybe his broken rib had pierced an organ. Maybe the organ in question happened to be his heart. Just maybe.

_A fairy arises from a baby's first laugh_

"There aren't a lot of cars around here..."

"The island is so small that you don't need anything but your bicycle at worst."

"Guys, just a minute of silence please"

At the back of the car, Riku tried to listen to his vocal message. It was his father asking how he was doing in his new home. Hearing the voice, Riku frowned, and tried to detect any sign of weakness or pain. His father always portrayed a positive and strong attitude, but the young man had training in analysing his body language and tone of voice.

Riku knew his time here could offer him opportunities. With the countless professionals present at matches, he might get a proposition from one of them. He could begin a carrier in blitzball. If only... His eyes travelled to each of his friends inside the car. Leon, the more responsible one, was driving silently, aware of his surroundings; Cloud, not much different on the outside from Leon, sat at the back, looking over the window; Axel, on the front passenger seat, talking animatedly with Demyx, turning his head all around to take as much as the new decor as he could; Demyx, an arm lazily dangling on the back seats, talked back to Axel about the people on Destiny's Island; Ariel was half on Demyx and Riku's lap, humming to herself and twirling absently Demyx's hair around her finger.

Those were his new team members, and he considered them all friends. In fact, during the past few months, he did not spend much time with anyone else. Luckily, he was getting on well with all of them. For a girly girl, Ariel was funny to be around, and serious when needed; Cloud and Leon considered him mature enough to be bearable and joined him when he was lonely; Axel and Demyx possessed some serious mischief baggage that Riku could find funny when his mood suited their plans, but at small measure.

Torn between his obsession to begin a professional carrier and his desire to just taste life as it came, Riku planned to take full advantage of his time in Destiny's Island, to give his best at blitzball and train like a madman, and when the time comes, he will do what needed to be done. Cellular in hand, Riku sent a text message to his father, telling him he would call when he would be alone, and to not forget his medicine.

"Is everything okay, Riku?"

Riku was surprised to hear Leon, asking such a seemingly common question, moreover. Riku knew Leon suspected Riku's father to have problems. He never pried, but Riku was certain he had guessed, his little comments proved his sure and quiet support. Yes, Riku definitely liked Leon.

"Yeah. Everything's fine"

Leon nodded and kept driving in silence. They arrived at the cinema and parked their car not far from it. Looking around and strolling while choosing a movie, Axel stopped and drew his friends' attention by exclaiming loudly: "Hey! Isn't it the little fair-haired boy from the match who tried to tear your body in two, Rikki?"

Riku looked up, scanned the crowd gathering around the gates of the theatre, and just as Axel said, he saw Roxas, talking with the Keyblade Masters' goal, Hayner. He kept looking, in the hopes to find the other boy he had met last time. The complete team seemed to be here, added a few others that were probably friends with them. He quickly spotted Sora, walking slowly, arm prisoner of the medic apprentice girl from the locker room.

Without any other word, Riku walked towards him. Underwater, he had found the boy so amazing while swimming, all masculine grace and incredible speed; he had given them a hard time to keep the ball. Once in his hands, they almost could not take it back unless he passed it to someone else. They were lucky he had not been a shooter. Seeing the boy in pain, but with such a determined look after the first-half of the game, Riku had been impressed, and touched by such a sport spirit. And finally, after hearing him talk in the locker room, and seeing him from close up, he had found him so cute, he had almost wanted to pinch his cheeks.

Though that would have looked weird, so he refrained.

His team was following him, all had been impressed by the potential of the Keyblade Masters after all. Cloud would probably appreciate playing with them again sometime.

"Hello, Sora" Riku greeted from behind his back.

He saw the boy swirl around with an abrupt move, making Kairi scowl and tighten her grip on his arm. This made Riku smile.

"Oh, hi Riku!"

"What are you watching?" Riku asked seeing the ticket tightly clutched in his hands.

He was surprised to see Sora's cheeks reddened instantly, and Kairi smiling amusedly, obviously retaining a laugh.

"Hum... a movie..." he answered vaguely.

Riku laughed, immensely amused by Sora's personality. He might have just met him, but he was liking him more and more already.

"It sounds great, I should see that movie, too. If I'm not intruding?" He asked hopefully, always the gentleman, looking at Kairi.

It was also a subtle way to fish for information.

"Not at all" the red-haired girl answered, still smiling widely. "Sora was going alone, actually. The boys want to see that action movie and Selphie, Olette and myself were going to see the romantic comedy."

"Well, Sora, it's you and me, then?"

The boy still refused to reveal what movie he had chosen, his head stubbornly bent towards the floor, cheeks still red against his tan skin. Riku waited patiently, decided not to back down. Kairi, less patient or more helpful, depending on your point of view, kept staring hard at Riku while making subtle signs on her left with her head.

Riku turned his head towards the indicated direction, where he could see a big film poster, portraying a sexy looking blonde girl, with big blue eyes and an extremely green, short skirt, standing with a cute pose. The title, flashy and unmistakable, made Riku pause. It was not an erotic or porn movie, no.

It was Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell and the lost treasure.

Riku turned back to Kairi, face expressionless for a second before his eyes narrowed in wariness. Kairi nodded quickly. Riku's eyes opened wider while his eyebrows rose in surprise. Kairi nodded again, with more emphasis. Riku looked back at Sora.

The mental discussion went like this: _"You're shitting me." "I am NOT." "Tinker Bell? Really?" "On my mother's head. Sora is a HUGE fan of Disney..."_

"Well... wait for me here, okay Sora? I'll be right back."

Sora's head shot up, mouth open without knowing what to say.

"Make sure he doesn't move too much, right Riku? We'll all be waiting on the benches in front of the gates for an ice-cream afterward. You're welcome to join us." Riku thanked her and Kairi left with Selphie and Olette.

After buying his ticket, Riku joined Sora. They went inside in silence, Sora was still embarrassed about the movie, but Riku was not teasing him, just smiling at even more cuteness. Riku even bought pop corn and beverages for the both of them, making Sora smile embarrassedly.

"Where do you usually seat?" Riku asked when they entered the room.

"All the way behind." Sora finally said, Riku walking close behind him.

The room was not even half-full, mostly with children, but Sora never cared about that. Tinker Bell was his favourite Disney character. He will NOT miss that movie for all the gold on earth.

Meeting Riku had not been planned, though. The teasing from his friends, he could take. They do not mean harm and Sora knew how to answer back. But revealing that to Riku was not the same. Sora did not understand though, why he would buy a ticket and join him. It certainly was not the movie he planned on seeing, right? Well... Riku was not teasing him, that's always that.

"So... You're in love with Tinker Bell?"

He thought too quickly.

Sora stuffed his face with pop corn to avoid answering, which made Riku laugh.

"Don't worry. I like Disney, too. It will remind me of my youth."

Sora looked up shyly, watching that strange boy who seemed so nice where any other guy would have had a field day knowing that juicy piece of information. Riku was munching on some pop corn, strands of hair looking silver in the dark atmosphere of the theatre. When Riku caught Sora looking, he winked, and just after that, the room fell into darkness.

XXX

"That was cute! A proof that the Disney spirit never dies! A children movie with values and humour and magic! Aaah!"

Sora obviously overcame his discomfort and was now jumping while Riku followed at a steady pace, observing him and smiling.

"Easy boy, you're trying to fly away." Riku caught Sora's wrist and brought the boy to him, taking his arm in his, just like Kairi had done before. He understood why now. The girl was not overreacting, Sora really could not walk normally. Riku took advantage of Sora's big blue eyes staring at him in surprise. The Heartless player smiled innocently, openly observing Sora's face. "Wouldn't want Kairi to maim me for letting you bouncing around."

Sora laughed, self-conscious, and scratched his cheek in thought. What was he supposed to do, now that he could not jump?

"We should sit on the benches outside. The others will join us soon, and the colours are beautiful in the sky when the sun sets." Sora suggested in the end. He could not prance, but he was not going to complain: he had a hot boy clutching his arm all for himself.

Once settled on the bench, Riku did not completely let go of Sora's arm, and Sora was happy for that. He was quite tactile, and Riku's smooth skin felt nice on his own. All hail to tropical climate!

"I haven't realize... how much I missed looking at the sky..." Riku whispered, eyes lost on the horizon.

"What do you mean?"

"In The Land That Never Was, it's always night time. Artificial lights are everywhere so that sometimes, you think it's too luminous, but it really isn't the same as a clear blue sky..."

Sora remembered his mother talking about that city, that the sun only appeared a ridiculous small amount of time per year, the rest of it was pitch black. Sora tried to imagine waking up only to be looking at a black sky. Compared to what it was now: a clear blue above and pinkish hues ahead, bright orange just around the sun, half hidden by far away mountains.

He was depressed just thinking about it.

"Well... Destiny's Island might not seem like much at first glance, but the weather and the all around happiness make up for everything! You can see the stars clearly, because there are not a lot of artificial lights installed... its freaks out some people because when you're out by night, it's total dark! But it's okay, when the moon is big, it's really luminous. And there are shooting stars often! We can predict nights when they fall by hundreds. I will show you! I have a great spot to see them."

Riku had been looking at Sora, passionately talking about his homeland.

"I would like that."

Sora smiled back at Riku, already forming plans in his head. Not wanting to let the conversation die, Riku spoke about the movie they had just seen.

"So, who's your favourite fairy?"

Sora's expression distinctly said 'Huh...?' Riku had not even planned it, but Sora's face was priceless.

"Hum... Sorry?"

"Your favourite character, from Tinker Bell?"

"Oh! Of course! Hehe hum... Terrence is an amazing friend, he manipulates the fairy dust, and he's ubber cute. I vote for him! And you?"

Riku found interesting that Sora liked Terrence in particular, a male character, but maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part.

"Well... I like Tinker Bell herself. She's a tinker despite the fact that she's utterly clumsy, she's funny and innocently determined... she kind of reminds me of you, in fact." Riku's head was turned toward Sora, and since his arm was still around his, when Sora looked up at him, their faces were quite close, close enough for Riku to spot little dots of darker skin around Sora's upturned nose, close enough for Sora to admire even more the brilliant green of Riku's eyes and his pale and thin eyebrows.

Sora blinked twice, and decided that Riku was one direct and strange boy. An amazingly nice, direct and strange boy. He smiled with all his teeth and turned his head away, blushing again, from pure pleasure this time. Riku smiled while looking tenderly at Sora. That boy was truly a sweetheart, Riku could not remember the last time he wanted to smile so much. As far as he was concerned, a smile was no more than a requisite and polite gesture, and it took an effort to make one. With Sora, his lips stretched upwards naturally, and now that the afternoon was over, his cheeks hurt.

It did not stop him from smiling though, he could not help it.

"Ah! The girls are coming out!"

Riku thought ironically that this afternoon should be called "the double-meaning day".

_Happiness doesn't exist. Only pieces of happiness._

That first by chance date was followed by another, and another, and another one after that. Sora showed Riku and his team around the town, both teams and their friends played at the beach and learnt to know each other, rivalries and friendships arose: Tidus could not keep himself from challenging Cloud to anything, and Sora suspected Leon to find the situation extremely funny, even though it was difficult to say with the stoic young man; Axel found extremely entertaining to annoy the hell out of Roxas, who threatened bodily harm on the tattooed-man every day; Ariel appreciated feminine company, and was adventurous enough to stand Selphie's endless energy...

Sora took Riku one night to see the rain of shooting stars, as promised; he revealed to Riku his secret place, a cave he had found when little with Kairi, they even scribbled a new drawing on the walls to add to the old ones, and then they fell asleep inside the cave.

Sora explained why their team was called the Keyblade Masters: it was in honour to a game they used to play when they were children, with Tidus, Wakka, Selphie and Kairi. They imagined numerous worlds kept from each other by huge doors, but they were in possession of the keys to open them and explore the worlds. When fencing needed to be added to their game, because it was not fun if you just could not fight, they decided to sword-played with their imaginary keys, that they called keyblades. Knowing how to fight perfectly with it would make of you the keyblade master. Riku listened with rapt attention, imagining a little spiky-haired kid, running like a rocket and brandishing a wooden sword, pronouncing words only him and his friends could understand. It made him smile, seeing such innocence still inhabiting Sora's spirit.

Riku was a year older than Sora, so they did not share classes, but it did not prevent them to have lunch together and with their friends. To the amusement of Sora's friends, the others were appalled at first to see that there were not even a lot of buses around the school: people in Destiny's Island all moved by feet. Luckily, there were sporty.

Sora was always present when Riku trained with his team. He would seat on the terraces with water and something to eat for Riku afterwards. He would scream encouragement and wave like a madman, improvising silly songs while imitating a cheerleader. Cloud had been afraid he would disrupt his team's concentration, but his presence, while loud sometimes, was usually quiet, and had the contrary effect he thought it would have: Riku was determined to give his best in order, Cloud suspected strongly, to impress Sora, and the others were simply touched by the nice gestures Sora showed them all.

And of course, the matches featuring the Heartless in action were those where Sora and his friends were the loudest. High-level matches had been played, more violent than what the Keyblade Masters were used to. Some of their friends had been hurt, and even if it was nothing too bad, it made Sora worry for Riku like his own mother would. The Heartless, since their first match on Destiny's Island, never lost. One match had been a draw and they had to play extra time twice to finally score. This one had been extremely nerve-wracking, but so very gratifying.

If only things could have stayed that way...

At school, around the middle of May, Sora stumbled upon a conversation between Cloud and Leon. He did not mean to eavesdrop, but he was conveniently placed to hear without being seen, and when he heard the name of Riku, he could not help but listen attentively.

"Do you think he will accept?" Cloud began.

"I'm pretty sure he will. It's an opportunity he cannot miss. It might never happen again."

"But does he really want to become a pro? I know he likes blitz, but to make a job of it, I always thought he wouldn't..."

Leon took a pause, and replied in a confidential tone, a tone he would only use with Cloud, because he was the only one he trusted enough to confide in.

"I think he has other preoccupations... that could make him chose that path."

"You mean... he would do it for an ulterior motive? Like money?"

"Hm hm"

"He never seemed like someone who had financial difficulties to me."

"I'm not completely sure of his situation, and even if I were, it's not my place to say, but I think he might need a lot deal of money in the near future."

"We'll lose a good member then? Riku will leave at the end of the year."

"I think so..."

"I hope he won't regret anything... anyone..."

"I'm afraid he will, but he doesn't have a choice."

Frozen in the corridor, Sora automatically walked to his classroom when the bell rang. Lost in thoughts, barely responding to anyone around him, he could not focus on anything, until the end of the school day, when he met Riku outside. He had thought Riku had been a little off those last few days. Sora could understand why, now. He felt he had failed Riku somehow, the boy was a great listener and not that much talkative, so Sora had been talking a lot, but in the end, Riku might have big problems and Sora had not _known._ What kind of friend was he?

"Hey Sora, how was math?" Riku asked his friend teasingly. Sharp green eyes, sun-kissed skin, soft full lips stretched in a smile, all of him, so handsome...

How much Sora loved him.

"You're going to leave?"

Riku had thought something was amiss when he saw Sora walking his way. First, the boy was not bouncing but walking as if in a daze, and his face was not smiling. Sora was _always_ smiling. Even when his expression was neutral, his lips would be slightly upturned, ready to stretch into a grin.

Riku did not know how much he could have avoided telling Sora the truth, but he would have preferred to have more time.

"Who told you?"

Sora did not answer, the answer to that question was irrelevant. Sora needed to know if it was true, nothing else.

Riku sighed, hand pulling his hair, only sign of nervousness that Sora recognized easily. How much time had he spend watching Riku, learning those little details only close friends would know? Right now, that time seemed not enough.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else."

They walked in silence, not really knowing where their feet would take them, but Riku needed some time to organize his thoughts.

In the end, they stopped along the beach, back against a laid down tree trunk. They were looking at the sunset, like that first time at the cinema. The orange sky reflecting on the golden water was truly beautiful, and yet, they did not have the heart to appreciate its beauty at the moment. It only offered some kind of serenity, the stability the mind needed, a reassurance that whatever happened, the sun was about to set again the day after.

"I was offered a contract's proposition. A guy from Zanarkand. He suggested to take me as replacement in the Zanarkand Abes. It's... an undreamed-of proposition."

Indeed, the Zanarkand Abes were one of the most famous blitzball teams, one of the best. If Riku wanted to play professional, he simply could not refuse.

"And this is what you want?" What Leon had said was weighting on Sora. Was Riku really having problems? "I heard... are you having problems at home?" Riku did not answer right away. He was trying to find the less painful way to say what he had to, but he did not see any.

"It's not that I want to, but I _need_ to."

Sora looked at his dear friend, a sad expression on his face, waiting to comprehend the situation. He looked so angelic, in Riku's eyes. So pure, he did not want that sad frown to mar his face. He stopped looking at Sora, it hurt too much, knowing his time with him was ending.

"Yes, I have problems at home. Don't look so guilty Sora..." Riku pleaded when Sora's expression looked downright painful.

"B-but, I didn't even know!"

"You asked about my parents, and I purposefully stayed vague. You didn't insist, and I'm grateful for that. I'll tell you now. My mother... she was very young when she had me, and she left when I was around two years-old. My father had always been very loving with me, and the obsession I had once to find her left quickly. Only my dad counted. If she had wanted to leave without even giving some news in my whole life, then I didn't need her, either."

Sora thought it was terrible, for a parent to simply abandon their child and never look back. Never once did Riku's mother tried to contact him. How heartless could she be?

"I always enjoyed sport. Blitzball was great, I liked swimming, and I was lucky enough to have some kind of club or association next to where I was living to keep playing for years. Dad and myself... we moved around a lot. He is a journalist, you see? And sometimes, he needed to move to find jobs, to write articles on the field, and all that... It was great, travelling everywhere like that. It didn't bother me. It was always the two of us."

Riku stopped to sit down and threaded his fingers in the sand. Sora followed him, eyes fixed on his face.

"But recently... around, two years ago... I learnt that Dad had a disease... it's called Geostigma. Have you heard about it?"

Sora said no with his head, so caught up in Riku's revelation that he could not speak.

"It's a degenerative disease. You catch the virus, it sleeps in you, dormant, and when it wakes, a sort of gangrene spreads on your body. Your body weakens, your organs are all touched one by one, and you die. Painfully."(2)

Sora wanted to say something, anything that could wipe off the pain Riku tried to hide, but what can someone say in this kind of situation? What could Sora do, to make it better? Nothing. He could do nothing faced to one life's ordeal.

"The virus hasn't woken up yet, not completely, but my father begins to feel tired, a heavy tiredness that people feel when the virus stirred. The treatment is not completely ready yet, and since the disease is rare, they still need money for research, that's why it is excessively expensive. And let's not forget, that it's spread in poor countries, when no one gives a shit if children die every day of it. Dad caught it in Midgar... there was an epidemic, some years ago..."

Sora had never heard of it. On Destiny's Island, you were quite isolated from the rest of the world. Sora was hit with the sudden knowledge of his complete ignorance concerning the terrible situations happening abroad. He had always behaved completely unconcerned, as if life were perfect...

"Dad was always there for me, he didn't abandon me like that woman. He always worked to give me the best education he could. If I begin a professional carrier in blitzball now, I will be able to provide him with a treatment, no matter how expensive it may be. They're making progress on it, I know. I've been following the research. Dad doesn't want me to do anything I don't want to but... how could I be so selfish? I'll be one of those fucking professional blitzball players, earning a load of dough for every fucking goal I'll make, and I will take care of him. I will."

Sora had felt his throat tighten during Riku's explanation, and now, the tears were difficult to keep away. Like it was the most natural thing to do, and to Sora, it was, the boy encircled Riku's neck with his arms, and brought himself close to him, tightening his hold in comfort, and crying on his neck.

"You will, Riku. You will save your dad. I know you can."

Riku held Sora strongly, crying himself from all the emotional turmoil he had been feeling the last few years.

"Don't forget me?" Sora whispered, cheeks humid on Riku's neck.

"Never."

Amidst the night sky, where the sun had once been, a shooting star died.

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or leaves you broken_

Riku had left a little before the end of the year, right after his final exams. He was supposed to go to Zanarkand as soon as possible. The rest of the Heartless stayed during the summer holidays, except for Leon, who left soon after school because of an unknown reason. He had seemed a little disgruntled when departing at the airport. Sora and his friends had been there to tell him good-bye. He and Cloud were supposed to go to Radiant Garden for their studies. They said they would keep good memories from Destiny's Island though, and Leon added, seemingly to the attention of Sora, that even if separated, they would always stay in their heart... that they did not have.

It was probably the only thing that had made Sora smile during the holidays.

Demyx and Axel liked the living style on the island, and decided to stay. Demyx was lazy enough to imitate a lizard under the sun, which required a shining sun all the time. Axel liked the people he met here, and he announced he was tired of going from one place to another just because of blitz. He liked the sport but after a while, living just around the activity spoiled it.

Ariel went back to Atlantica, joining her numerous sisters and helping her father run his company. Blitzball was common back there, so she would not be giving it up.

The ex-Heartless members who stayed on Destiny's Island always played for fun with the Keyblade Masters, among other things. The only one who did not partake into the activity was Sora. Tidus was getting desperate, but even he did not bother his friend after seeing his mental state. The way Sora looked at a ball made everyone's heart clench. They had seen Riku and Sora's relationship develop, but none could have anticipate such a depressed looking Sora. Sora, the boy who was always happy; the boy who talked all the time; the boy who was always in action. Now, he was just pensive, disconnected from everything, and doing almost nothing. He went from place to place on the island, alone, and stared at the sky or the sea.

His mother became so worried she suggested he went to see a psychologist. Sora told her it was no use, he just needed time.

Unknown to everyone, Sora kept thinking of their last good-bye. When Riku came up to his home, one night, he told Sora he was leaving very early the day after. They had stayed in heavy silence together, none of them knowing what to say. When they had stared at each other, neither trying to hide their feelings, there was a moment when Sora thought Riku would kiss him. He had stepped ahead a little, had watched Sora's mouth a few times, seemingly debating the idea, but in the end, he had stepped back, whispering a farewell, before vanishing in the moonless night. He had thought it would be cruel, to taste something he could not have and give. Sora needed to forget and keep living in peace, here on this little piece of paradise.

Sora had not slept that night, wondering what could have been. They had never talked about sex or about them. They had revealed some of their feelings, in a pretty innocent way, like a child's nascent first love. It was simple and pure. Sora could not be sure, but he was convinced Riku was interested in boys, like he was. The little gestures, the brushing touches, the tender looks... Sora had never been touched by another guy that way.

But it did not matter anymore. Riku had left. He would never know how dating Riku would feel like, how kissing Riku would taste like, how loving Riku would be like...

Sora enrolled in psychology university. Same old island, same old sunset, same old people.

And yet, the world seemed devoid of any colour.

_Blood will tell_

For a Heartless, Leon was far too generous. Riku will owe him BIG time. God, how was he going to get out of the hell he voluntarily entered? He could be with Cloud right now, looking for a flat in Radiant Garden or visiting the city or brooding with his blond friend who mastered the art far before him.

With only a handbag as luggage, Leon walked down the futuristic looking streets of Esthar. Once at the President Palace gates, he was stopped by two guards. He introduced himself and asked to be announced to the president himself, _quickly_.

Kiros, a high political figure in Esthar, welcomed him warmly. He was a good friend of the president, and knowing Leon well, he did not make him wait unnecessarily. The president was in a meeting right now, but it would not be long. Meanwhile, he settled Leon in a room, inside the president palace, and offered him refreshments.

Leon appreciated the gesture. The journey had been long, after all, from Destiny's Island to Esthar. Fourteen hours by plane, thank you, and then you go and take the train because Esthar was an isolated nation that did not mix with the world's problems and which entry was excessively controlled, adding three hours of travelling. The only proof the country even existed was that most of the technological equipment and other important research inventions harboured the indication "made in Esthar".

That and medical research, too.

Lying on the bed, Leon was thinking about what Riku had told him before leaving. The boy thought his teams members had a right to know the reasons for his decision. As he had thought, Riku pursued his goal of a professional carrier for money. His father was ill, and it was no common illness, no, it was the Geostigma.

He had no choice but to ask this man.

During the meandering among his thoughts, Leon had fallen asleep. What had woken him up was far from his idea of pleasant.

A door banging, then, "Squall!" then the same door banging again.

Leon grunted. Lo he comes, the President of the most powerful and richest nation, Laguna Loire.

Daddy dearest.

Riku owed him _good_.

_Deus Ex machina_

In the middle of yet another move, Riku docilely put in box the last of their belongings. The boy had asked his father to come with him to Zanarkand, not liking the idea of leaving him alone. It started some days ago. The virus had woken up. His father had tried to hide from him the little dots of dark blue and black on his wrist, but Riku had seen. The later you take the medicine, the less chance you have it will be effective. Riku was feeling frustrated, powerless and discouraged. But he kept reminding himself that he would make it better soon, very soon. Once in Zanarkand, his training will take place right away, and he will have a salary for the first time of his life.

He will not fail.

Riku sighed, and fell on a photo taken while he was still in Destiny's Island.

Sora's smile was shining more strongly than the sun back there. His arm was draped over Riku's shoulder, his head bent towards him, eyes twinkling mischievously in the eyes of the camera. Riku was smiling too, obviously happy here, in the spiky-haired boy's arms. _Remember what you left behind, remember why, the more reason you have not to fail, _he thought. He put the photo back inside the box with the utmost precaution, and closed it firmly.

All of a sudden, the door bell rang.

"Riku!"

"I'm on it!"

Riku opened the door to see the mailman, holding a big envelope.

"Jenova Sephiroth?"

"Yeah?" Riku answered.

"Here, registered mail."

"Huh... thank you"

Slowly closing the door while inspecting the letter, Riku frowned, wondering what it was.

He made his way to the living-room, where his father was dozing from time to time, unable to keep awake for too long now. His long hair were draped over the armchair, long legs stretched out, artificial lamps outside sending beams through the window and dancing over his skin. Riku could not help but observe his father, knowing he might not be able to do it for very long. The thought physically felt like a hand was squeezing his heart, getting a little pressure each time he saw his father walking slowly, or head dangling. His father who had been so strong, always carrying him on one shoulder when he was a kid, rising him up with one hand, doing sport with him. He had inherited from his father his hair colour and his eyes and maybe, in some years, his tall stature. Sephiroth had always been, in Riku's eyes, a god. His world. His everything. His friend, and mother, and father, all at the same time. It was his father who taught him what matters the most in life up to the little details, like how to make babies, how to shave, or what makes a press article interesting.

A god could not die that way. Not so young. Not so _fast_.

"What was it, Riku?"

"Don't know..." Riku shook out of his depressed thoughts and opened the letter for his father.

Riku stared at the content dumbly for some seconds, not being able to comprehend what it was. Requisition form to enter Esthar for a temporary visit? There were a lot of papers in it, and Riku finally found an explanation.

_Dear M. Jenova,_

_We have the honour to present you with the final version of StigCure, our improved treatment against the Geostigma, finally developed and ready since February of this year. You are hereby kindly invited to Geyzer's laboratory, Esthar, for a series of tests and the administering of the StigCure. All the technicalities necessary for this procedure are detailed in the documents enclosed. Please, do not forget..._

Riku blinked, and blinked again, not understanding. The first thing that came to mind was that it was a misunderstanding, that it was another Jenova Sephiroth, as uncommon as this name could be, but how unlikely could this possibility be?

Esthar... Geyzer is working closely with the president, the president who happened to be...

"Riku? What's wrong?"

"Wait Dad, I have to check something!" Riku said hastily before dashing to climb the stairs and bursting into his room, looking wildly for his mobile phone. He spotted the piece of technology and grabbed it with shaking hands, calling Leon.

He body was buzzing with tension, clutching still the letters in his left hand, waiting impatiently for the phone to stop ringing and for Leon to pick _up_.

"_Hello?" _A tired voice answered.

"Leon! Leon I-"

"_Do you know how _late_ it is?"_

"Is it you? Leon?"

The hope that Riku did not want to feel in case of a misunderstanding was making his voice shake and even through the phone, Leon could hear it. There was a slight pause, when Leon finally answered.

"_Ah. Yes."_

Another pause.

"How...?"

"_Well... you know who my father is... Dr Geyzer had been working on a cure for a while now. He had been perfecting the dosage in comparing to the progress the Geostigma makes on a body. It was a question of perfection really. Now, it seems ready, but since not experimented much on humans, it's not yet widespread. It's a question of time though, but I know your father cannot wait much more now. So... my father has given express permission for you get in Esthar right now. It takes months otherwise. So yeah, I know Dr Geyzer is a kind of a madman but he's skilled. The treatment is experimental officially but ready in truth, I can assure you."_

"But... Leon, how much...?"

"_How much what? Money? Officially, your father is a testing subject. He will be the one to get paid. You'll just have to provide yourself a house for the time being."_

"Leon... I-I don't know what to say..."

"_Good night, hopefully?"_

Riku laughed softly. "Good night Leon. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"_Hn"_

Leon hung up. He had a hard time dealing with reconnaissance. Riku imagined him turning his head to escape the thanks and blushing slightly.

Riku walked down the stairs slowly, a smile on his face, reading the documents more closely now that he understood the situation.

"Riku?"

Riku looked up at his father. The man seemed to feel the change in his son. It pained him to see Riku suffer for him. But now, he seemed to be really happy, like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Dad, I have good news. Very good news."

_From ashes of the past, the phoenix of the future arises_

It was the first time Sephiroth and Riku visited Esthar. They had been in awe at the technological progress the city displayed. Seeing Esthar from the inside felt like entering a futuristic movie. They presented themselves to the presidential palace, since Sephiroth had been adamant on thanking properly that "young man who's intent in saving my life" and, if not much of a bother, the president himself, since it was also thanks to him that he could be here, now.

Seeing Leon interacting with Laguna was a funny thing to see. One has to wonder how one made the other. Laguna's primary qualities are clumsiness, cheeriness, honesty, curiosity and humour. A humour that Leon qualified as "clowning". As opposed to such an outgoing personality, Leon appeared solitary, serious, cold, skilled and unattainable.

They both had a strong sense of justice though, and a big heart, and they loved each other. It could be seen more easily on Laguna's part, who tried to bring Leon with him everywhere he went, but it could be seen on Leon's part, too, when he kept criticizing Laguna's negligence concerning his own protection. Riku had heard Leon talk for a long while with Kiros, who took care of security.

After getting his father settled in a little flat in Esthar, the treatment taking a long time, Riku met a pretty looking nurse named Aerith. She was the one specifically assigned to his father, following his progress and taking care of him. Once, after a series of tests that had left his father in a drowsy state, Riku was putting some things in order in the small room when Sephiroth spoke, slightly loosened from the medicine.

"Riku?"

Said boy looked up at his father, seeing him sprawled on his back, hair falling like tendrils of silver all over the sheets and pillows, a comforter half draped over his body. Riku came nearer and sat on the bed, listening.

"Are you happy, Riku?"

Riku blinked, not expecting that kind of question.

"Yes, I'm happy Dad. You'll be alright soon. Nothing not to be happy about."

"Hmm... I'm kind of happy I'm not dying either."

Riku smiled, his father, while always understanding and communicating, had never been overly open about his feelings. Hearing him reveal that was refreshing. He held out a hand towards Riku, and the boy leant down against his father's body, hearing his heartbeat, enjoying his warmth, cherishing the tender moment.

"Have you been happy, growing up?"

Sephiroth seemed to be in a retrospective spirit right now, Riku humoured him, knowing he had been through a tough moment in life, and now everything has changed again, with Leon's miraculous intervention.

"Yes, dad. I've been happy."

"I used to miss her so much, you know. Your mother, I mean."

Riku tensed a little. Sephiroth had never been angry or hiding things from Riku concerning his mother, but Riku knew it was not a subject he enjoyed talking about. In fact, Sephiroth never talked about her first. And until today, none of them had ever brought her up in the conversations in years.

"I knew she was not the more stable of woman, emotionally, and that she was still immature in a lot of ways, but I thought that I could compensate her faults. When we learnt your existence, I thought she would... grow up, maybe. That things were getting serious and she would change, with the infamous maternal instinct, ha!"

There was some bitterness at the end of Sephiroth's statement that Riku could taste easily.

"I've always despised mentally weak people. I don't know what made me like your mother in the first place. She tried to leave without telling me, you know? She waited until I had left for work, I had an office job at the time, and I came sooner from work to find her closing a suitcase. She would have left you alone in the house until I came back. I think that's what angered me the most."

Riku listened intently, fingers entwined in his father's comforter. The wound was old, correctly enough scarred, so today, it just left a morose feeling when facing it.

"She ran away, and I didn't even tried to keep her here. I told her to take her time, to take everything that belonged to her because she wouldn't be welcome here anymore. I tried at first to know if she was just freaking out and to tell her to calm down but no, it was a well thought-out decision. She knew where to go, what to do, and what she didn't want. And she didn't want us, obviously. Then I told her everything I thought about her behaviour, all the disgust she inspired me. It was only the truth, but I think it touched her, somehow. It hurt her. I'm glad for it."

There was no guilt in the man's voice. In his eyes, in his heart, so responsible and honourable, abandoning her child and husband without telling was just unforgivable.

"I forbid myself to fall for another woman. I was too scared to find another worthless woman, to fall for artifices, I was too afraid you would suffer from it, too. I... hadn't moved on from her completely."

When you know someone so much better than anyone else and they, one day, tell you something you did not even suspect, it feels like such an uppercut in the face... Riku had never suspected his father had harboured strong feelings for his ex-wife for so long. It seemed stupid, now that he thought about it. It was his wife, of course he would love her, but he had never seemed touched or depressed by her absence. He had been young, so he could not analyse everything at the time like he did now, but he thought his father had moved on easily, and that he never took another wife because of his job.

Knowing he had just been disillusioned from his first wedding, Riku felt like a selfish idiot. He should have talked about that with him, talked about women, about remarrying. He had never been at ease because women were not just _his_ interest, and he had been afraid how his father would take it. It had seemed to surprise him a little but Sephiroth took it in stride, and accepted it easily. He had even joked about it, _"as long as you're on top, our honour is safe"._ And also, Riku had loved their life together, just the two of them. Unconsciously, he had probably not wanted to add another person in their family.

"When I thought I was dying, I asked myself, 'what do I regret?', and I thought, I've seen a lot of things in life; I have talked about a lot of touchy subjects I wanted to publish to the world; I have loved, even if it was short and disappointing, and I became a father, which was the best thing that happened in my life. The only thing that I regretted, I thought, was 'I'm leaving my boy alone. If only I had remarried, he wouldn't be alone'."

Riku did not know if his father forgot his presence while talking or if he was really opening his heart to him right now.

"I should have given you a mother, right, Riku? I should have... all those years, without a mother, it must have been tough. Except for me, you have no family. No brothers or sisters, no grand-parents. No one."

Riku rolled over on his stomach, half on his father's torso, and placed his hands on his father's face, staring straight into identical green eyes.

"You were everything a son needed, Father. Everything and more." Riku whispered passionately.

His father paused, looking at his child, face neutral until Riku saw appearing a very uncommon feral grin on his father's face.

"But... let's suggest, that after my near death experience, I wanted to take advantage of life again and forget _that_ woman, and tried to catch up lost time and gave you a mother, with you being 18 and all? One always needs a mother, after all."

Riku blinked. Had his father met someone? Who? When?

"I... hehe, I would say go for it, Dad!"

"What do you think about Aerith?"

"The nurse? Pink ribbon in her hair?"

"Dat one."

The smile on his father's face was funnily scary.

That girl had no chance.

"I would say... she's hot as hell, Dad." Riku grinned, without knowing, the same predatory smile as his father's.

"Great! I hope I'm not too rusty..." he said pensively while caressing his son's hair. "And that way you wouldn't have to worry about me, I wouldn't be alone. You could go back. And soon. The year will begin soon."

"Go back?"

"I know what you attempted to do, Riku. And I know there was nothing that could have made you change your mind. You would have regretted it, anyway, and living with guilt wasn't something I wished upon you. But let's be honest now." This time, it was Sephiroth rolling over and placing himself over his son, weight comforting in his heaviness against Riku's stomach. "You don't want to make a professional carrier in blitzball, do you?"

Riku knew that look. His father knew when to pry, when Riku needed time to reveal something, or when Riku needed to express himself completely on a subject. There were even subjects that did not need to be talked about. He understood and showed patience, but there was one thing he could not tolerate: it was lying outwardly with no good reason. And between the two of them, there was not a good reason to lie.

"No. I don't want to."

"What do you wish to do, then?"

"I want to go back..."

"To Destiny's Island?"

"Yeah..."

"What's his name?"

Riku looked at his father in surprise.

"The spiky-haired boy on your photos. I've seen several kids on them, but this one seemed always attached to your side, and when you're on the photo with him, you're always smiling. You don't smile that often and that wide, Riku. I know you."

Riku blushed and smiled, at least his father knew and he did not have to go through an embarrassing conversation. Some things were hard to say, after all.

"He's cute. He seems nice." Sephiroth added pensively.

"He's angelic."

His father laughed, and let go of his weight he had kept on his arms to fall completely on Riku, ready to fall asleep, in all likeliness, head on Riku's chest.

"Then go back quickly. Enrol in IT. It's always useful and you're good at it already" he muttered, voice already sleepy.

Riku stared at the ceiling, hand trailing along his father's longs strands of hair, and smiled goofily, imagining already his return on Destiny's Island.

To Sora.

XXX

His first classes had been interesting. Kind of. A lot of subject material must be memorized, but it might take his mind off of depressing things.

Sora had not touched a blitzball since Riku's depart. Guilt poked him meanly in the ribs sometimes, because the team was not what it used to be without him. They still played, for fun, a friend always willing to play instead of Sora, but the fire that had been burning inside the Keyblade Masters had diminished greatly. Tidus and Wakka would probably settle in Zanarkand to find their place among the professionals. Sora could only wish them the best of luck.

The new psychology student walked slowly along the asphalt road boarding the beach, when he joined his usual spot, near the tree trunk.

What used to be _their_ usual spot.

He sat down on the sand and sighed. He should begin learning his classes. He should go to the library and borrow the needed books. He should do some research on his child psychology class, to get a bit ahead.

He should, but he felt drained.

Staring at the sun, eyes half-lidded against the glowing gaze, Sora did nothing. As usual after classes, he stayed immobile, watching the sun set, until the temperature lowered, when he realized that if he did not come home now his mother would worry. He would mutter a lie if necessary, and he would into his room, with great effort, before opening his books and text books, and stare at the written pages, whispering harshly in his head what he should have learnt that already. But he did not. Too empty to gather the strength to go on.

Then, he told himself how pathetic he was behaving, how Riku would probably be ashamed of this new version of Sora, how Riku was strong enough to go through life to save his father, and deny the rest.

Earlier than usual, Sora stood up. He stared one last time at the sun with a determined face. Riku had once told him that he was determined, and that he liked that quality. Would Tinker Bell wallow in self misery in his place? No. She would find something to do to fix the stupidity she had done. He would do the same. He would do something. Beginning with his studies. And then, he would hug his mother, and he would talk to her, he might cry and all, but she was used to that. Then, he would go and see his friends. And he would play. He would play like a madman. It would be the only link remaining between him and Riku. He was probably playing, too. Maybe he would feel some kind of supernatural mental link when the two of them would commit the same action. Who knows? Yes, he would do just that, because Riku would not want to see him that way.

His throat was tight and his eyes wet, but this depressing sadness would not keep him from living anymore. He swallowed, intent on not letting the tears fall, and tried to smile. It seemed forced and painful on his cheeks, even a little stupid, smiling like that alone, but he did try, at least.

He grabbed his bag and turned his back to the sun, walking more energetically than ever since the last few months.

"I won't fail either" he muttered, frowning deeply at his own personal promise.

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

Sora froze, eyes downcast, he had just seen a pair of sneakers enter his field of vision. He did not look up. It just could not be...

"Then again, great spirits need to express themselves. Hence the terms crazy and genius. Kind of the same difference..."

The sneakers came nearer, and Sora looked up slowly, until he came face to face with broad shoulders, naked and enticing muscled arms poking out from a sleeveless vest, and colourless hair stealing the golden beams of the setting sun.

"Ri...ku...?" Sora whispered, eyes wide with incomprehension.

"Hello darling, miss me?" Riku asked teasingly, eyes warm despite the mischief.

"B-but, what are you doing here?"

Sora did not dare reach him, scared Riku came back just because he forgot his singlet or something. His father needed him. Riku left because he needed to save his father. He was not supposed to see him again, not that soon. Maybe not ever.

"You see... we chose the name 'Heartless' because we thought it sounded badass and it would inspire fear in our opponents. But, I know my team members, and one in particular, who has such a big heart, that I don't know how it fits inside his chest."

That did not help Sora that much. He knew the Heartless were all great guys, but how did it bring Riku here?

"Who? Why?"

"I'll tell you the details later. Leon... he doesn't like people to know but... he's the son of one of the most influential political man on earth. Laguna Loire, the president of Esthar, is his father. He asked him for a favour. My dad is currently being treated right now. In the good hands of a nurse he's trying to court, by the way. He... said I could go back here, do what I choose to do in life. With an empathic advise to follow IT studies" he added with a laugh.

"So... you're staying... here? In Destiny's Island?" Sora's voice was weak, shaking with fragile hope, eyes still wet from before and shining like blue flames. Riku felt entranced.

"Yes, Sora. I'm staying."

Relieved from his continuous turmoil, Sora threw his arms around Riku's neck and held him tightly, hugging him like his long lost teddy bear, trying to touch all of Riku's body, as if trying to get through him.

"I missed you so much... so _much_" Sora whispered brokenly.

"I missed you, too." Riku murmured while caressing the light brown hair of the boy he loved enormously.

Sora raised his head a little, cheek against cheek, he relished the feeling of Riku's smooth skin, the smell of his aftershave, the strands of hair tickling his nose. Riku turned his head, breaking their cheek contact, to stare at Sora, before dipping his head to the side and doing what he had wished so hard since his arrival on Destiny's Island. He kissed Sora tenderly, keeping him in place with a hand drowned in his spiky hair. Their kiss was not hurried, but straightforward. They had almost lost what they could have built if life had not separated them, now they did not want to lose time. Their feelings were true, sincere, and strong. They were aware of each other's affections, and time had made it more solid. Riku took Sora's upper lip between his, deepening the kiss and tasting Sora further. Sora explored as curiously, he poked his tongue timidly until Riku coaxed him to go farther. Soon, they were making out with ease, as if they had been doing it for years.

Absently, Sora remembered his mother telling him that babies put everything to their mouths because lips were the most efficient way to feel something. That was probably why kissing was the best way to feel the nearest to someone.

When they stopped, they smiled at each other, their foreheads pressed together. The sun had set by then, even if the sky was still clear. They walked slowly back to Sora's home, where Riku revealed sheepishly that he did not have a home here yet, because he was such in a hurry to come back, he forgot such tedious details. Sora's mother, far too happy to see the change in her son's moods, welcomed Riku with open arms.

Before going to sleep, the two lovebirds stood side by side by the window, in silent contentment, witnessing a bright falling star running in the sky.

THE END

1: dragon bal reference, sorry about that XD

2: I'm taking some liberties with the geostigma here...


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